HBO Max is currently available to download on many platforms, but not Roku or Amazon Fire TV. The streaming service that offers access to original shows and old favorites is being positioned as an upgrade to the standard HBO experience, although without device support for so many users, the question becomes when, or even if, Roku and Fire TV device owners will get access to a dedicated app?
HBO Max launched late last month with the app available on most streaming TV platforms, except for Roku and Amazon Fire TV. As the newest streaming service from WarnerMedia, it is the exclusive streaming home to Friends and The Big Bang Theory, as well as a handful of new original shows. Furthermore, HBO Max is setting ambitious goals, with plans to create fifty new original shows by the end of this year.
As of right now, CNET reports that there is no deal in place with WarnerMedia to bring a HBO Max app to Roku or Amazon Fire TV. However, it is likely that this is a negotiating tactic for the companies involved. Such tactics are often used in TV, and as a way for one company to gain a more lucrative deal. Since Roku and Amazon Fire TV collectively account for a large portion of the streaming market, it seems very likely that HBO Max will eventually be available for users to watch on both services. Considering both sides seem to be holding out and banking on their own consumer power to get the deal that’s right for them, when remains to be seen.
HBO Max, Roku & Amazon Negotiations Continue
Roku and Amazon Fire TV users have been frequently asking via social media when they can expect HBO Max on their device. AT&T and WarnerMedia appear to be sticking to the line that they are “working to help deliver #HBOMax to as many devices and customers as possible.” Meanwhile, this past week, WarnerMedia announced that it would be fully phasing out its HBO GO app and replacing it with HBO Max. Within the statement, WarnerMedia said it believes this is possible because HBO Max is now “widely distributed.” To some, this could be interpreted as WarnerMedia calling Roku and Amazon’s bluff, and attempting to place additional pressure on the two companies to make a deal. From the other side, Roku and Amazon have remained relatively quiet on the issue, other than recent comments related to the HBO GO side of the equation.
In the meantime, fans of HBO will simply have to wait until the two sides come to some sort of deal. While that is unlikely to be an answer many Roku and Fire TV users are happy with, it is common within the industry for these disputes to take place. The silver lining here is that it is also common for disputes to get resolved eventually. Further adding to the suggestion that HBO Max will most likely become available on Roku and Fire TV, at some point.
